Despite difficult pandemic circumstances the number of online job postings across Aberdeen city and shire has doubled over the last year, reflecting a healthy bounce back in recruitment activity.
While the outlook for 2022 is hopeful, we’re all working through unpredictable circumstances and although hiring clients report a boost in activity there are common concerns around skills shortages, inflation and the impact of current, and future, CV19 variants.
The pandemic stalled career plans for many people and presented the opportunity to do something completely different for others. Many workers discovered a new level of autonomy and flexibility that they want to retain. Conversely, employee morale is declining in overworked, lean teams.
Coinciding with the transition individuals have experienced, there’s intensified focus on the transition to a low carbon future. While we can envision the north east at the forefront of the energy transition, employers are grappling to understand how to leverage the potential, with particular concerns around workforce transferability and skills development.
Unaware of how the jobs market has changed over the last couple of years, hiring clients can be surprised to discover that there are very few immediately available candidates looking for work and we're increasingly asked to provide guidance on talent attraction and competitive rates of pay.
The Great Resignation, or the Great Reshuffle, has been making headlines in the national press for months. While I don’t think this applies to the job market in the north east I would agree that there’s been a shift in the way people view their work and what they’re looking for from their employer. There's also a growing appetite to take advantage of the buoyant jobs market and gain an uplift in salary.
Employers can’t be complacent in this competitive market. Employees always want leaders they can trust, but it’s even more important during times of uncertainty and volatility. Fairness and inclusion have also become more important in our remote working world.
Job seekers are evaluating employers by how transparent they are when it comes to sharing information about culture, job content, salary and location of work. They’re also turned off by drawn-out or convoluted application processes, and employers are losing great applicants due to a lack of responsiveness.
Don’t forget about employee engagement too. In our latest salary guide Richard Petrie of Anderson Anderson Brown and Lisa Thomson from PurposeHR explain how employers can improve recruitment and retention with good employee engagement strategies and by illustrating the value of benefits in a way that connects with job seekers and employees.
There’s also commentary from Andy Rodden of Energy Transition Zone, sharing how ETZ is allocating funding across a wide range of energy-related projects to support skills development and skills transition.
Download your copy of the TMM Recruitment North East Scotland Salary Guide 2022.